The present disclosure relates to components for a gas turbine engine, and more particularly, to cooling flow architecture and seal arrangements therefor.
Gas turbine engines, such as those that power modern commercial and military aircraft, generally include a compressor to pressurize an airflow, a combustor to burn a hydrocarbon fuel in the presence of the pressurized air, and a turbine to extract energy from the resultant combustion gases. The compressor and turbine sections include rotatable blade and stationary vane arrays. Within the turbine section, the radial outermost tips of each blade array are positioned in close proximity to a multiple of circumferentially arranged Blade Outer Air Seals (BOAS) supported by a BOAS support. The BOAS are located adjacent to the blade tips such that a radial tip clearance is defined therebetween. The BOAS support is, in turn, mounted adjacent to a vane support that supports a blade array. When in operation, the thermal environment in the engine varies and may cause thermal expansion and contraction. Clearance between components may thereby fluctuate such that a seal is typically located between the BOAS and the vane support.
Management of fuel consumption has gained much focus on both military and commercial engines. The High Pressure Turbine (HPT) efficiency of the turbine section has one of the most significant returns on fuel consumption. The HPT efficiency is negatively influenced by leakage of cooling air to the gaspath and the inherent mixing loss that occurs.